Power modules or power semiconductor modules may include power converters, e.g. inverters or rectifiers. Such power modules may include power semiconductor devices or power devices, e.g. transistors, IGBTs or diodes, which are usually disposed on a ceramic substrate and bonded thereto by soldering. The substrate populated with power devices is generally disposed in a housing. Bonds extending from a contact surface of the chip to a terminal area on the substrate are normally used to make electrical connections. Electrical devices which are electrically interconnected via bond wires suffer, on the one hand, because the bonds can easily break, particularly in the event of vibration and thermomechanical stress, and, on the other, such connections result in a very high inductance.
Another major challenge for power modules is the required dissipation of heat produced by the power devices during operation, particularly as the electrical devices are becoming ever smaller. Typically, either expensive thermal management is required or the performance of the power modules is limited because of the heat dissipation options.